Ray T Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 Just now, Boater Sam said: Oh, A Maltatease? I remember an A55 van with the 1.5D, possibly the first ever, and only one? 37 BHP, what were they thinking? Slightly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 Rotten roads in Malta. The islands only about 15 miles long, not long enough for a BMC diesel van or car to reach 35mph, their top speed. Most folk just drive into Valletta to pose in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cereal tiller Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 18 minutes ago, bizzard said: Must have been a Shirka. J2's only used the B series petrol engine. The diesel was pretty rare in the Cambridge, Oxford and the J4. The 1500 Diesel was pretty slow and sluggish in vehicles, nobody wanted them. The Perkins 4/99 4.107 and 108 were also under powered ,we did not see a powerful high speed Diesel until Peugot(Indenoor) made them in the mid/late 60's. There were no Motorways in the UK till 1959. There are lots of BMC's still clattering away in Boats though ,newer ones like the Golf Diesel and the Ford XLD are not as resistant to neglect and abuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Sam Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 I understand the budget restrictions but could I suggest that to avoid the pitfalls of buying a poorly rebuilt or worn out problem engine a Canal Line 38 will drop in to replace the 1.5D and will fit to the existing gearbox at a surprisingly economic price. It may be prudent to get some money together and solve the problem. In the last couple of years there have been some terrible stories of supposedly rebuilt engines being sold by well established canal based companies and engineers who will remain nameless unless someone asks me privately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 10 hours ago, Nightwatch said: Over the years I know of three boaters that have had issues with engines from Calcutt. Though they do sell hundreds I wasn't impressed by the "rebuild" Calcutt did on our 1.5 The one we had done a few years later by Starline at Upton was much better and 12 years later it's still going extremely well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 2 hours ago, Boater Sam said: I understand the budget restrictions but could I suggest that to avoid the pitfalls of buying a poorly rebuilt or worn out problem engine a Canal Line 38 will drop in to replace the 1.5D and will fit to the existing gearbox at a surprisingly economic price. It may be prudent to get some money together and solve the problem. In the last couple of years there have been some terrible stories of supposedly rebuilt engines being sold by well established canal based companies and engineers who will remain nameless unless someone asks me privately. What budget restrictions? The OP didn't mention a budget, they just said they need a 1500 engine urgently, and have not logged in again since asking. Good advice about getting a canal line engine. I didn't realise they are almost a drop in swap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebulae Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 I had an ex GPO J2 van. On one memorable occasion,I wound it up to 40mph. Probably fast enough for the postman. From memory,they were not a particularly robust engine. Crude dieselisation of an Austin(BMC) B series. The 1500 was fitted to a Leyland 154 tractor. The Nuffield version of this tractor had a diesel version of the 948cc Morris Minor/A35 engine.When did you last see one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, StephenA said: I wasn't impressed by the "rebuild" Calcutt did on our 1.5 The one we had done a few years later by Starline at Upton was much better and 12 years later it's still going extremely well.... Many years ago when I was fitting out VS I decided to fit a BMC 1.8 went to Calcutts with a view to buying a "reconditioned " one from them. When I asked a few questions I was not impressed. For example crankshafts were re-ground "if outside of tolorances" . Received other answers along the lines of "if needed". As i say not impressed. Wòund up buying a £100 scrap engine from Telecom Sherpa and completly re-built it from the sump up. One of my better decisions. It's still going strong and uses no oil between 150 hour services Edited August 25, 2018 by Slim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGoat Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 20 hours ago, Boater Sam said: Oh, A Maltatease? I remember an A55 van with the 1.5D, possibly the first ever, and only one? 37 BHP, what were they thinking? Probably intended for short runs in a relatively small urban area? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 12 hours ago, Slim said: Many years ago when I was fitting out VS I decided to fit a BMC 1.8 went to Calcutts with a view to buying a "reconditioned " one from them. When I asked a few questions I was not impressed. For example crankshafts were re-ground "if outside of tolorances" . Received other answers along the lines of "if needed". As i say not impressed. Wòund up buying a £100 scrap engine from Telecom Sherpa and completly re-built it from the sump up. One of my better decisions. It's still going strong and uses no oil between 150 hour services My neighbour on a boat behind me needed a new alternator, leave it to me,I said, but he insisted on ordering one himself, from Calcutt. I wrote down exactly what to order for his BMC 1.8, an A127. A 38a ACR with wrong handed bracket was sent, no good, I got the correct one from my own supplier. He never sent the ACR back to Calcutt, its still on his boat. A very simple purchase from them and they couldn't get that right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koukouvagia Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 I've had my 1.8 BMC from Calcutt nearly twenty years. Considering its age and unknown provenance, I don't think I've done too badly. Over the years I've had the following: (1) new starter motor - the first one burnt out when it stuck on (2) new head gasket. I also had the head skimmed with new valves etc. while I was at it (3) new water pump. The face plate on the Jabsco pump was scored (4) new lift pump (not actually necessary) (5) new injector pump to replace the one with the perished seals (6) new alternator - to beef up the charging from 35 to 70 amps (7) new water pump pulley (see https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/37915-bmc-problems-water-pump-this-time/) I also had problems with the cooling system, but that was nothing to do with the engine, but rather a fault in the plumbing. "Other than that, Mrs Lincoln . . . " 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 We also owned a boat with a Calcutt reconditioned BMC 1.8 in. It had been in the boat 10 year when we bought it, and over the next 10 years we travelled some fairly large mileages. Although we had some niggles, it never actually let us down fully on any trip, which was pretty good news really. It was eventually diagnosed with head gasket problems, but was still going fine, just a little rough. Once dealt with it was back completely on beat. Other things dealt with were more associated with poor installation than the quality of the engine, particularly a fractured engine mount, and also a failed bolt on one, (poor alignment undoubtedly to blame for both of these). However we did find evidence that the original Calcutt rebuilt was less than perfect, including parts that should have had hexagon heads on, but were severely rounded off. The biggest problem I had with Calcutt for parts is that even when I carefully specified it was a British engine, they managed to send parts that were for the Turkish built engines, and not interchangeable. I'm not convinced from things that I hear that later Calcutt rebuilds were a particularly good investment though. Is the boat that requires the engine the one that is part of a Crowdfunding appeal, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted August 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 Update Engine has been sourced, although frustratingly we have to swop sump & inlet manifolds. We're at Milton Keynes Floating Market so feel free to pop along if you have any bmc gaskets as the volounteer engine transplanters only have a couple of days to complete. Funds for the engine were raised through crowd funding, this whole unfortunate situation has been rescued by fellow boaters what a community when we pull together.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 17 minutes ago, Titan said: Update Engine has been sourced, although frustratingly we have to swop sump & inlet manifolds. We're at Milton Keynes Floating Market so feel free to pop along if you have any bmc gaskets as the volounteer engine transplanters only have a couple of days to complete. Funds for the engine were raised through crowd funding, this whole unfortunate situation has been rescued by fellow boaters what a community when we pull together.. Thanks for the update. Is this to help out the chap called Gopal who was running a crowdfunding appeal for a boat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 39 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: Thanks for the update. Is this to help out the chap called Gopal who was running a crowdfunding appeal for a boat? Are you thinking about : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: Are you thinking about : No, I was thinking of his more recent and brilliantly manipulative appeal for more assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 10 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: No, I was thinking of his more recent and brilliantly manipulative appeal for more assistance. I've not seen that one, He's not doing badly - get others to buy his boat, now to pay for a new engine, next will no doubt be licence, BSS etc costs. Wish someone would cover my boating costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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